NASHVILLE, TN.- Cheekwood hosts A Celebration of Trees, in honor of its Level IV Arboretum status. Rooted with an exhibition in Cheekwood’s Museum of Art, featuring works by noted landscape artist Charles Brindley, the celebration will tie together Tennessee’s Arbor Day, National Arbor Day, and Tu B’Shevat, Jewish Arbor Day, or “the New Year for Trees” with a wide variety of education and public programs guaranteed to delight tree lovers of all ages.

With approximately 70 drawings and paintings, Trees of Myth and Legend is a fitting tribute to an artist who has dedicated much of his career to bringing viewers into communion with the trees and landscape of Tennessee. Brindley’s highly representational drawings and paintings mesmerize viewers with their level of detail and multi-layered composition, capturing both the ageless beauty and fragility of nature.

“Brindley’s highly representational drawings and paintings mesmerize viewers with their multi-layered abstract elements, capturing both the ageless beauty and fragility of nature,” said Jochen Wierich, Curator for Cheekwood’s Museum of Art. “We are thrilled to unveil his recent drawing of our venerable chinquapin oak tree at the end of the Swan Lawn that was created specifically for this exhibit.”

“We couldn’t have chosen a better artist to help us celebrate trees,” said Jane MacLeod, President & CEO of Cheekwood. “We are honored to welcome Charles Brindley back to Cheekwood, and encourage our members and guests to find inspiration in his masterful depiction of nature and in the trees that make Cheekwood the spectacular arboretum it is today.”

Brindley held his first exhibition at Cheekwood in 1982 and exhibited as part of the Temporary/Contemporary series in 1996. In addition to the drawings of Cheekwood’s historic Swan Lawn Oak Tree, Brindley exhibits other new work and many tree-related drawings and paintings from the past three decades, including his studies of trees at Glen Leven, the staircase at the Tennessee Governor’s Residence and the Wisteria Arbor at Cheekwood. This is the first time all the drawings of Cheekwood’s mansion that Brindley made between 1999 and 2000 are being exhibited together in one room. Last year, Charles Brindley exhibited works at Glen Leven and will also exhibit works in 2015 at Belmont University.